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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — a division
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. capital — a city
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com